


Half As Liked

by spaceboye



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Coming Out, Developing Friendships, Gen, High School, Homophobia, LGBT Themes, Male-Female Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Trans Female Character, Trans Jessica (Rick and Morty), Trans Male Character, Trans Morty Smith, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-12-31 10:30:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceboye/pseuds/spaceboye
Summary: After a lackluster school assembly, two trans teens discover an unexpected ally in each other.





	Half As Liked

Morty adjusted his binder covertly, noting the line of sweat that trickled down his back with distaste. Though it was pleasantly cool outside, the press of bodies in his school's auditorium, when paired with the glowing stage lights above and the extra layer of fabric that snugly held his torso, was making Morty feel just a bit lightheaded. Morty glanced at the students seated on either side of him, anxiously searching for any sign that they'd noticed his movements. The girl on his left was wholly focused on her phone, paying no attention to the teachers on-stage, let alone her own immediate surroundings. He was pretty sure the one on his right was asleep. With a quiet exhale, Morty sat back in his too-small seat, turning his attention once again to the assembly.

He wondered for a moment if it was just his personal discomfort that was making this assembly seem unbearable, but he quickly decided otherwise. It really was that bad.

For almost an hour now, Morty had listened to a group of supposedly-qualified teachers and staff members prattle on about LGBT issues. _'As if they know the first damn thing about it,'_ Morty thought sourly. He winced as the school's guidance counselor stumbled over a sentence about "transgenderism".

To be fair, these adults didn't seem malicious. They weren't mangling the subject out of spite-- or at least, it didn't seem that way to Morty. In his eyes they were just woefully, _painfully_ ignorant. The only reason they were holding this particular assembly was because the school board had deemed it necessary after the state's latest high profile "bullied to death" story. Unfortunately, the administrators in charge of the whole thing knew about as little about LGBT people as the teachers, and whatever crash-course they might've gotten was pretty clearly inadequate. Morty stifled the urge to put his head in his hands when the Principal made a flimsy attempt at a joke.

It wasn't even offensive, really. It was just... _so bad_. It was embarrassing to watch.

Thankfully, the bell rang after just a few more minutes of mind-numbing slideshows and casual transphobia. Morty groaned in relief, not noticing the handful of other students who did the same.

* * *

Jessica was supremely uncomfortable.

When she snagged a seat in the auditorium next to a few of her friends, she'd thought it was a lucky arrangement. Growing up as a trans girl in the midwest, Jessica didn't have particularly high hopes for this assembly, but she was pretty confident her friends would be cool about it. They didn't know she was trans, but Jessica thought she was a decent judge of character. Surely it couldn't be that bad?

No such luck. Through the next hour, Jessica grew more and more withdrawn as she listened to her friends joke and giggle. Many of their jabs were at the teachers on-stage and their stiff, confused demeanors. However, many more of them were ill-informed comments about LGBT people, and one or two of her 'friends' were being actively mean spirited. Jessica feigned sleep so the others wouldn't notice how her brow furrowed and her frown deepened.

Time stretched on endlessly, agonizingly, until _finally_ the bell rang. Jessica released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, though her shoulders remained tense. She knew there was no way to break away from her group of friends without drawing attention to herself, and the absolute last thing Jessica needed right then was the looming anxiety of, _'What if they're talking behind my back?'_   So she walked out of the auditorium with her still-snickering friends and did her utmost to not shrink away from them.

By the time the gaggle of teens reached their lockers, Jessica had taken a few deep breaths and was feeling ever so slightly more confident. As casually as possible, she said, "It wasn't that bad, guys. I mean, the teachers were acting really dumb, but it was for a good cause, right?"

A few seconds of silence passed. Everyone within five feet could feel the tense atmosphere as two of the other girls stared Jessica down. Before too long, though, Allison Winchester broke through the uncomfortable moment by slinging an arm around Jessica's shoulder and giving a genuine laugh.

"Oh my god, Jessie, you're way too sweet for your own good, y'know? Be careful, like, what crowds you get caught up in! You don't want people thinking you're a lesbian or something, right?"

The other girls giggled at the thought, and Jessica joined in, though she could still feel Bailey Atkinson and Cindy Green eyeing her suspiciously.

"As if, Allison!" one of the girls Jessica didn't know very well piped up. After a few more moments of cheerfully rude discussion, Jessica's friends said their goodbyes and wandered off to chat with others before the next bell rang. Jessica finally let herself relax. She pinched at the bridge of her nose.

_'Be careful what crowds I get caught up in, huh?'_

* * *

 

Four feet away, Morty rifled aimlessly through his locker, watching Jessica from out of his peripheral vision. He wasn't particularly proud of how often he eavesdropped (usually he rationalized it as their lockers being close together, and his crush talking pretty loudly sometimes), but today he was just a little bit glad for it.

Morty wasn't, by far, the most clever of his classmates. He wasn't good at theoretical things like math, or distant things like history. But he was good at reading people-- maybe not at  _talking_ to them, but Morty had a decent sense for emotions. Fourteen years of debilitating insecurity had left him more able to notice it in others. He had picked up on it when Rick was jealous of the Vindicators. He had known what Summer needed to hear after she'd learned she was an unwanted pregnancy. And now, Morty could see clear as day that Jessica was insecure, despite her calm facade.

No, Morty wasn't the most clever boy around, but he knew how people worked, and his problem-solving skills-- especially when the problem was immediate and tangible-- weren't too shabby, either. So he stood up a bit straighter, took a steadying breath, and walked up to Jessica.

"H-hey."

Jessica might as well have jumped a foot in the air. She whirled around to face the shorter teen, eyes wide and textbook clenched in white-knuckled fists. Realizing who it was, she settled almost immediately. Curiosity and lingering surprise shone in her eyes.

"Oh, hey Morty! You startled me. Uh, what's up?"

Now that he'd come this far, Morty wasn't entirely sure what to say. He couldn't, _couldn't_ back out now. This was important, goddammit, and he was going to follow through! Resolving to wing it, Morty scratched unconsciously at the back of his neck. "S-sorry! Um..."

He trailed off for a moment before looking up to meet Jessica's gaze.

"Look, I... I know this is weird and I d-don't want to, like, freak you out or anything right now? But, uh, I... I overheard you and, and your, uh, your friends just now, and..." Jessica was starting to look more than a little nervous, and Morty cursed his stumbling not for the first time.

With a frustrated noise, Morty tugged the bottom hem of his binder out from under his shirt. He glanced around quickly, and seeing that there was nobody immediately nearby, he said in a quiet voice, "This isn't a t-tank top."

Jessica peered at her acquaintance in confusion for a long second before tentative realization crept up her features. "Oh... wait, you mean... ?"

"I-I thought it was, uh, for a good cause, too. I mean, it was... T-those guys up there, t-they didn't know what they were talking about, a-and neither did... anyone else, y'know? Just, um... Y-you're not alone? I guess is what I'm trying to say? Um..." Morty tucked his binder back under his shirt again. He was starting to feel embarrassed, and slightly anxious that he might've misread a sign somewhere.

Just then, Jessica gathered Morty up into a hug. He felt her textbook, still clutched in one hand, press against his arm, and then it was over. Morty felt his cheeks go pink. Thankfully, Jessica spoke up before the lovestruck teenage boy could say anything to ruin the moment.

"Thanks."

Morty rubbed at his arm, still grinning like a dork. "Y-y-yeah, n-no problem!"

Just then, the bell rang. Both teens looked around as the other students in the hall shuffled towards their next classes. Jessica shifted the book in her arm and grabbed a stylishly-sequined pencil bag from her locker before closing it. "I need to get to chemistry now, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Oh, y-yeah!" Morty finally snapped out of his daze. "See you a-around!"

The two trans youngsters took off in opposite directions, each smiling to themselves at the idea that there was someone not too far away who understood.

Maybe it wasn't that bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> hoogh this is the first Thing ive written in literal years and im not completely happy with it but i hope someone enjoys it anyway??? peace oot


End file.
